The MSI Claw 8 AI+, scheduled for an early 2025 release, is the latest handheld gaming console from MSI. Powered by Intel's Core Ultra 7 258V APU (Lunar Lake), 32 GB of RAM, and an 80 Wh battery, this device is reportedly challenging the Asus Rog Ally X in both performance and battery life.
Lunar Lake APU: A Game Changer
Initial reviews of the first-gen MSI Claw were critical, mainly due to the underpowered and inefficient Meteor Lake Core Ultra 7 155H APU. However, tests by Dave2D indicate that the new Lunar Lake Core Ultra 7 258V APU with next-gen Xe2 Arc 140V iGPU allows the MSI Claw 8 AI+ to compete directly with the Rog Ally X.
Performance and Battery Life
Testing at 17 W with 1080p/low graphics, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ matches or outperforms the Rog Ally X and Lenovo Legion Go in games like Ghost of Tsushima and Black Myth: Wukong. The Claw 8 AI+ even shows leads in Cyberpunk 2077 (9% faster), Red Dead Redemption 2 (19.5% faster), and F1 23 (46% faster). Enabling FSR/XeSS significantly improves performance, with Cyberpunk 2077 reaching 60 FPS.
At 30 W with FSR/XeSS, all consoles see marginal gains. The Claw 8 AI+ also slightly edges out competitors in Ghost of Tsushima and Baldur’s Gate 3.
In battery life, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ and Rog Ally X trade blows. Both last around 15 hours when streaming YouTube. However, in gaming, the Claw 8 AI+ outlasts the Rog Ally X by 19 minutes in Cyberpunk 2077, while the Rog Ally X lasts longer in Street Fighter 6.
MSI Claw 8 AI+ Price: A Hurdle
While the MSI Claw 8 AI+ features an 8-inch 120 Hz IPS display and 32 GB of RAM, its $899 price tag is considerably more expensive than the competition:
- Lenovo Legion Go (16GB RAM): $549.99
- Rog Ally (Ryzen Z1 Extreme, 2TB storage): $749.99
- Rog Ally X (24GB RAM): $799
Despite the impressive performance and battery life, the high price point might be the MSI Claw 8 AI+'s biggest challenge.
